Who is Moon Knight?

0 comments

Moon Knight – A Man of Many Faces

What connects a son of a rabbi and a mercenary to a moon god?

Created by writer Doug Moench and artist Don Perlin in 1975, Marc Spector first appeared as a villain for Jack Russell, Werewolf by Night. Soon after, he would appear as a hero in the pages of Marvel Spotlight, Spectacular Spider-Man, Marvel Two-in-One, and The Defenders (with his villainous turn being retconned away).

Moon Knight’s story isn’t just about action or horror. He is the Fist of Khonshu, protector of overnight travelers. He is a man fighting with himself, trying to find his identity. His is the story of persevering and enduring through many difficulties, even when the reality you know is crumbling around you.

Is Moon Knight Marvel’s Batman?

Whenever Marc Spector is mentioned in the comic circles, the comparison to Batman is soon to follow. There are many similarities to the world’s best detective – neither has super abilities, and they both operate at night with gadgets, instilling fear into criminals.

But this is where the comparison becomes interesting and often effective. While many Caped Crusader stories rely on asking whether he is Batman or Bruce Wayne, Marc Spector often doesn’t know who he is. Is he Moon Knight, the protector of those who travel at night? Or the billionaire Steven Grant? Maybe he is Jake Lockley, a rough-around-the-edges cab driver. Or he is Mr. Knight, a police consultant and detective suited in impeccably white clothes.

It is these clothes that are one of my favorite parts of reading Moon Knight. When in good hands, the character will pop off the page due to his genius design. Where Batman is broody and dressed all in black, Moon Knight’s costume (most importantly – his cape!) is white. With a great artist, you can expect interesting plays with negative space and blocks of white on every page, which will keep your eye focused even without reading the bubbles!

Moon Knight lives on the edge – and often doesn’t know which of these identities is the real one. Furthermore, some stories will question what the reader is seeing or the very reality of Marvel’s Universe. Taking a trip with Marc Spector is a wild ride worth pursuing! And once you are done reading, make sure to give Oscar Issac’s portrayal of the character a chance too!

And now you're wondering: What are some Moon Knight Must-Reads?

Moon Knight By Huston, Benson & Hurwitz

Enjoyed Bendis' work on Daredevil or films like Memento? Try Charlie Huston and David Finch.

What would a Batman film written by early-David Fincher look like? Something like this. Huston redefines the character for a darker, more mature audience. Where Batman operates with a rigid sense of justice (even at his darkest), Huston’s Moon Knight embraces full-blown self-destruction. Marc Spector is less a calculating detective and more a man drowning in his own trauma and rage, with Khonshu pushing him towards acts of extreme violence that often go way further than they should.

The Huston/Finch Moon Knight isn’t about solving crimes; it's about survival, vengeance, and self-loathing. It happens in the same period as Civil War and allows for some of the best character development for both Iron Man and Captain America, posing Moon Knight as the one no one wants.

It gets confusing at some point with the non-linear storytelling (but I guess it's what we want from this character, right?). Neither of those creators stay in the title long enough for this to feel fully formed, but it's the character's first step into modern comics and an interesting read.

It’s available in the Moon Knight By Huston, Benson & Hurwitz Omnibus, bundled together with other more by-the-books superhero runs, like Gregg Hurwitz’s take. While it might not be the best, it gives you a vast idea of what directions the character can take.

Moon Knight by Brian Michael Bendis

Enjoy the more action-driven superhero stuff?

Try Bendis’ own short run, a very divisive period among fans of the character. Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev completely overhauled Moon Knight’s concept, setting the series in Los Angeles and replacing his usual split personalities with imagined versions of Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Captain America. I wouldn't recommend this if you want to get Moon Knight, but Bendis and Maleev merit at least a try.

Moon Knight by Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey

Into self-contained stories?

Go for Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey. Their six-issue run wasn’t focused on long-form storytelling but rather on experimental, self-contained issues, each exploring a different facet of Moon Knight’s psychology and mythos.

Mr. Knight takes the stage, and instead of an excruciating journey destined for instability and confusion, reading it feels like a puzzle box of limitless possibilities. Each issue gives a clue of what this character can be. It's cinematic and badass fun, not only from a Moon Knight perspective but from a comics-in-general perspective.

I remember reading this having no idea who Moon Knight was and leaving with the same feeling - but also the feeling of reading a cool comic book, and that's what matters. The rest of the issues in this volume also run with this after Ellis leaves the title, but those first ones should be considered modern classics.

Moon Knight by Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood

Want simply the best of the best? Into James Tynion IV horror stuff?

You need to go for Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood. If every run of Moon Knight feels like an exploration, Jeff Lemire consummates and then twists it around. It’s psychological horror at its best, and Lemire uses all the powers of the medium to take you on a journey with Marc.

He is lost, his identities are shattered, and the world around him constantly shifts between bizarre realities - you will feel glued to him in this nightmare. Even if horror comics aren’t your thing, give this a try. It’s realistic enough while also maintaining a sense of wonder.

It has a purpose and a story to tell. It’s about Marc's inner battles instead of violent brawls, and that is what makes this an essential read.

It's available in one compact Trade Paperback.

Moon Knight by Jed MacKay

Just love the MCU show and want a book with a bit of everything?

Look no further than Jed MacKay's current run. Action-packed street-level? Yep. Psychological depth? Yep. It’s a middle ground between all that Moon Knight has been while also putting him in the focus of the Marvel Universe for truly one of the first times.

Khonshu and his dissociative identity disorder (DID) are still part of the picture, but everything feels balanced and serves the story itself. This actually makes the case for how Moon Knight can compete with every single ongoing on the line. I would honestly recommend this first if you want to get into the comics - it’s a good first contact with every aspect of the character and works as a soft landing for the bigger experiments that came before.

Jed MacKay's run can be collected in Trade Paperbacks:

Moon Knight by Moench and Sienkiewicz

Want the Original Versions?
One good thing about Moon Knight is that most of his stories are collected. We have two classic omnibuses collecting Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz’s character-defining runs.

We can often joke about the Batman comparisons, but unlike Batman, Moench’s take was less about creating an intimidating vigilante and more about identity, deception, and personal conflict. Marc wasn’t just a billionaire with gadgets- he was a man juggling multiple lives, trying to figure out who he truly was. And you know the artwork is fire.

You can read it all in the two Omnibuses:

Moon Knight by Chuck Dixon

One Last Thing: Was he a West Coast Avenger?
Yes! Why do you ask?

You can get the two Marc Spector: Moon Knight omnibuses, mostly by Chuck Dixon:

This is a very 90s take on the character, for all it’s worth, and a lot of people have a lot of nostalgia for it. It’s action-packed and thinks of Moon Knight more like The Punisher. It’s the 90s - we’re edgy and cool.

Jokes apart, it’s fun, and I had fun reading it. At the same time, he was in the West Coast Avengers book for a short time, cracking up the espionage, reconnaissance, and hand-to-hand combat aspects.

More like Moon Knight: Agent of K.O.N.S.H.U. (trademarking this one before Marvel does).

Where to Start on Moon Knight?

Starting on a character with such a long history can often be seen as a daunting task. Luckily, Moon Knight has often had short runs of up to 20 issues, which were often disconnected from each other. Therefore, picking any should be enough with just a little prior knowledge about the character.

However, the best Moon Knight runs (that is – the one we recommend!) build off of that original volume by Moench & Sienkiewicz. The first three epic collections (Epic Collection Vol. 1, Epic Collection Vol. 2 and Epic Collection Vol. 3) or the first two omnis will be the place to find these stories.

For those seeking a more modern fix, there is Moon Knight Complete Collection by Huston, Benson & Hurwitz Omnibus, Moon Knight: From the Dead (for Ellis's story), or Moon Knight by Lemire & Smallwood: Complete Collection.

Finally, Moon Knight by Jed MacKay Omnibus has also been released just recently, which came as a surprise since Marvel rarely prints omnis of ongoing titles!

Whichever you pick, you will not walk alone in the night! Moon Knight will be with you every step of the way!

Previous article Next article